When an Eye for an Eye isn't Fair
by Tigertail16
Summary: Nico, the dragon rider, is on the run when the great noble from his home town, Perdix, finds out that Nico is in love with his fiance Quin. Nico originally wants to get rid of Peridix but then he makes a different decision as he realizes the real enemy.
1. Chapter 1

I wake up with a start, which has started to become apart of my daily morning routine. The nightmare of torture by the person who loathes you is one thing. The reality of it actually happening being probable is another. The sound of his triumphant laughter rings in my ears making me shudder. The look of unfair pleasure on his face plays in my mind. Even from miles afar the bastard could still ruin my day. But the peaceful rays of light still shone through the forest trees and life hopefully will still go on. I stretch and yawn in my hammock and I don't want to stand up. **Just one day off,** I think. Just one day to rest and not worry about being found. Just one day to give me time to think and plan a strategy. But I know it is something I cannot risk. Even if it's a small distance, I must always be moving forward, staying at a different location each night until I find just the right place to hide. But until then I only way to hide is to always be somewhere else.

I finally bring myself to get up, standing the weight of I problems now feel heavier. When I stood I felt something slide off my stomach and heard the sound of something hitting the ground. I look down to see a folded paper at my feet. I squat down and cautiously pick the paper up and I unfold it. It read:

"I assume this you have received this message Nico. Surprised? This game is getting old you know, and I think we both know who's going to win. I bet you thought you were being sooo clever, you and your dragon. But soon you're not going to be the only one who can fly anymore, or better yet be able to fly anymore. Don't underestimate what I know. I have people everywhere. I don't care what the law says; I won't forget what you did, not until you pay for every last bit of it. So go ahead keep running, but I'll warn you now, it won't do you any good. None at all."

*How dare he have the nerve?* I think at first with rage, but then a more important question came to mind, *How did this letter get to me?* however it did the bottom line was this: He sent someone to go looking for me, and at the least I had 3 days until my location got back to him. A chill went down my spine as I accepted the thought. Thoughts raced through my mind trying to come up with a plan. Going to the west would be too obvious; that's where Percy is. Oh Percy. I missed the kid... But I had to focus on what was important. In the north… And then it hit me. I knew exactly where we would go. I crumpled up the letter and chucked it into the lake. I took down my hammock and put it in my sack, then I spread out and hid the burnt fire wood getting rid of any evidence that camp was made here. "Guess we're heading up north girl," I murmured to Chira. She groans in response not moving in her resting position. "Look I know your tired but we have to go," My voice is sterner this time. She gives me a dirty look but in the end she stretches out her dark purple wings and leans her back down for me to get on. I got myself situated on her saddle and gave Chira a little kick in the side. She makes a running start on the lake's dock and then takes off. I swear I can hear the dock collapse and splash into the water behind us. A foolish grin comes across my mouth.

Flying is the greatest thing in the world to me. The sky's domain seems endless and less crowded. Free of the cruelties of man as you soar above them. And flying on a dragon? Makes all the difference in the world. Flying on a dragon running away from someone who's out to kill you? Well good luck catching me first.

We go above beyond the lake and what feels like a never-ending forest. Looking down it looks unforgiving, a maze I that makes me happy to not be traveling on land. I shiver a bit at the sight of a few giants and wyverns lurking about and the horrid screams that could be heard from up here. I will Chira to go further up into the clouds so I don't have to look at the gruesome sight below… or so it can't see us. About two hours later we are above the Qurock Mountains and I take in the beauty of it. Rivers flow in the mountains making a breathtaking waterfall on mountain cliffs. I want so badly to stop there and explore the mountains but I know I have to get way beyond the other side of them. *Don't underestimate what Perdix knows, my ass. He'll never find me, and if we wants to find me he can get up and actually do something himself* I think triumphantly. It takes over an hour until we're officially on the other side of the mountains and I feel a significant drop in the temperature. We are above Trelldearum, the underground kingdom of the north.

Willing the dragon to go down, a new problem comes across my mind. Dragons *hate* going underground. *Damn* I cursed to my self, *She'll never agree to going down... But how on earth can I leave her up here?* I push the thought aside… We'll deal with it when we get there… if we get there.

We approach the ground and are on the outside of a large hillside. *Now if I remember how to do this correctly...* Taking a few paces back from the slope I looked at from several different angles. *Where is it?*

"What would you be doing there sir?" the sound of another's voice startled me.

I turn to face the man to see what appeared to be a guard, the symbol on his uniform seemed familiar… "I'm looking for the Kingdom of Trelldearum, perhaps you know where I would find it?"

"Kingdom of Trell-what? I can assure you there's no such thing." I knew he was bluffing. Why was that uniform so freaking familiar?

"Where are you from?" I inquire.

"That's- none of your business," he says looking me up and down. How could I be so stupid! I remember now that his symbol is Trelldearus.

"Listen, you can trust me, I know you're bluffing and I know the kingdom exists. So *please, can you give me directions?"

The guard scowls at me, "I don't think so."

I have no other choice. Perdix finding me would be the end of me. I will not stand down and let him win. He doesn't deserve the satisfaction... and neither does this guard. I get out my dagger and threaten it at his neck, "Now you are going to tell me where that entrance is, or. Else."

"Nev-er," the guard spits. I press my dagger harder to his neck.

"I-i-it's tha-at a way," the man choked pointing his meaty finger in the direction over the hill.

"Thank you," I let him go and he scampered off into the woods behind me.

I walked Chira up and over the hill so were on the other side. I took a look at the hill in several different ways like I did with the other side and still nothing. I did this with several other near by hills. At the fifth hill I finally saw it. At the right angle I could see the Trelldearum symbol made out of a crevice in the hill. I walked up to the hill and stuck my hand in the crack. "I come to the a place... where most things hide? I offer my peace for uh- your acceptance in letting me... hide here too." I say, but even Chira gives me a funny look. I can't remember how to get in here... but dusk was breaking and soon it would be too dark for me to do anything, so Chira and I find an isolated small group of tees not far from the rolling hills. I set up my hammock and the two of us rest after a long day. Dosing off soon I find myself in a dream.

It was of the night that started it all. I waited until it had to have been at least midnight, the village did not make the slightest noise except for the gentle conversations between crickets. I crept up to their gates at the back of their palace where the guards had dozed off. "Who-who," I called out our signal. "Who-who, who-who," imitating the owls call. Seconds later she slipped out of their home looking as lovely as ever, her long flowing beautiful dark brown hair, her soft flawless white skin. She where's an elegant silk nightgown. It's light blue color that compliments her eyes. She grins at my presence. We run to each other until we are in each other's embraces. And then we kissed, and it felt so right and yet so forbidden. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to even be in the presence of her. She could do so much better! I could take care of her ten times better than that cold hearted knave could even dream of. I offer escape to her every time... But she says that she's too afraid he would do and that he would kill me. Of course he's a noble, the richest man in the village, probably richest of all the nearby villages, he has the power and wealth to... Well do whatever he wants, there's no point in trying to go up against him, his authority always rules. But anyways back to Quin. Our kisses became hungrier and full of want; I didn't want this moment to end. We could hear the sound of feet walking, but being so caught up into the moment we didn't pay attention. "Get your filthy hands off her!" a voice boomed. I wake up with a start.

Another beautiful sunny day and our adventure continues. I'm getting in the habit of tearing down camp night after night and having no permanent home, at first it made me feel more alone than ever but now it feels natural… although it would be nice to stay in a place longer than half a day. For once Chira is already up without me asking. She must have waked from the noise of me tearing down our little camp. When I was all packed I rode Chira on land to the entrance we found yesterday, I had made myself memorize every detail of the hillside so we wouldn't have to repeat yesterday's trying one hill after another. I walked up to the crevice and thought long and hard trying to remember how on earth do I get into the kingdom. The sound of voices interrupts my thought and concentration.

"So I told him-" I stopped listening to hide in a bush... But then when I saw the two people started approach the slope I realized I forgot something... What about Chira? But the dragon saw the problem before it arose. She flew up into the sky where I knew she would hover around the area. "What the-" the female of the two says at the glimpse of Chira's tail as she shoots into the air. The two stare up into the sky in confusion but then decide to let it go. The woman had a bow and stash of arrows strapped to her back her companion held a dead doe in his arms. I examined them as the girl stuck her hand into the crevice, not wanting to miss a second of the procedure. "I understand this is the kingdom of the hidden. Please accept my offering," she says as her companion places the deer at the hill base, "so that I may be hidden too." The couple took several steps back. The doe disappeared, and the ground shook as the crevice got wider making a large opening. Stepping though the opening the couple disappeared as they went underground and the two sides of the hill closed until it was one piece with just a thin long crack. Stepping out of the bush I whistled long and loud and second later Chira landed right next to me. Looks like I have some hunting to do. "C'mon girl, let's take to the skies."

With my bow and arrow at the ready we gracefully soar. I am hoping to find an eagle or any large bird... I assume I'll need a good size offering. After some flying around I see a good sized eagle in the distance. I get Chira to gain speed on it and when we get close enough I make my shot. The bloody bird dodged it in less than a second before it would have been fresh

kill. This happens with two other birds too, and fourth time around I am not letting it escape. My eyes catch the tip of a wing, and so Chira and I follow after it. Once I see what it was I could not believe my eyes. We were chasing a gryphon. I knew how dangerous the the half lion half eagle creatures were so I made Chira keep our distance. I aimed at the creature and prayed for the kill as I let the arrow go. A straight clean shot through the heart. My dragon dives down to catch my catch before it hits the ground, but right before she did something makes Chira halt and screech in what sounds like agonizing pain. Turning my head to see what is the matter, terror waves over me to see a menacing wyvern sinking it's teeth into my Chira's tail. Chira lashes her tail shaking the beast off only so they can fight each other face to face. I hold tight to her rein with one hand as I pull out an arrow with the other, I nearly drop it as I am shaken as Chira gives the wyvern a swift claw in the face. Before the wyvern retaliated I got my bow and arrow ready and shot at it. The arrow bounced right off the thing as if it's skin was made of steel. I'd forgotten how tough the flying reptile skin was, my weapons were useless unless I had a clear shot to the heart. Otherwise the only thing than can truly hurt it is dragon and wyverns themselves. Panic went through my veins as I saw the thing fling it's spiked tail towards us. Wyvern tail tips are very venomous. Trying to dodge it the blow it only hit her in the foot, Chira shrieked in pain bellowing a fire ball in response. I could sense that the fire had done some damage, the wyvern losing some energy. But it wasn't the only one, Chira only had so much time before we had to take care of the poison in her foot, or it would spread. The devilish creature went for her stomach, Chira blocked it and made a break for it's neck. Dodging the her attack Chira instead bit the wyvern's stomach. *What a terrible attempt to block* I thought. The wyvern wailed in pain, taking advantage of the creature's low moment Chira started to dive to it's neck once more, but before she did so something stopped her. She shrieked and then we started falling. *Oh no! The poisons gotten to her.* We start to plummet making my heart beat ten times faster as the ground became unsafely close. But then Chira gains enough strength to flap her wings for a safe landing. It comes to my attention that the wyvern hadn't been following, probably because letting the opponent go to suffer was a better win. I see that we are landing in the wretched forest we past earlier just outside the Qurock Mountains. We landed with a thump, both luckily alive.

The forest is dank and dim, it gives me the most terrible of vibes. "Look girl, I'm going to try to temporarily fix your wound, and then we need to get out of here." I'll have to risk stopping in the mountains and find a real healer then I'll hunt for a offering by foot and then we'll get back to Trelldearum. "Let me see your foot girl." And so she does as told and I wish I had said nothing at all. Purple ick (The blood of dragons) leaked unmercifully from her left hind leg, making a hideous large puddle on the forest floor. I pulled out a blanket from my sack, I won't be needing it with spring progressing soon. Balling the blanket up I press it up to the wound to absorb the blood, Chira whimpered a little. "Shhh," I said softly, "It'll be okay." Leaving the blanket on the wound I look at the rest of her body to see how much damage the poison has done, 3/4 of her of leg had turned a rotting green. *I have to find someone who can help this permanently before it spreads much further* It takes all the strength in me not to panic, any rash movements out of fear, and I can risk us a lot. After giving it sometime I remove the blanket relieved to see the bleeding has started to stop, unrelieved to see the true gruesome detail of the wound. Dragon skin is thick... *very* thick, so seeing a whole chunk of it gone isn't a good sign, or sight for that matter. Before I clean up more of the wound I pull out a small empty glass potions bottle and scrape it up against Chira's flesh. Although she shrieks in pain I need a sample of the wyverns poison; its extemly flammable and I never know when I might need it... I could also use it to poison a certain person, but I want to kill him myself, fair and square. Then I get out my water carrier, unscrew the cap and pour it gently over the damage. It cleans the wound clearing it of some dirt and dried blood. Chira whimpers again for the water sizzles as mixes with the poison that has infected her flesh. With the other side of the blanket that is dry I wrap and tie it around the wound. It would have to do for now. "Think you're up for fly-" I stop as I realize the poor thing has dozed off. *I suppose I can let her nap for a while* I think although the thought of being alone in this forest gives me the most unforgiving chill to my bones. *Just calm down* I try to convince myself, *It won't do anyone any good if I am in a panicked state* but the scared side of me doesn't buy it. I try to shut down my thoughts for a moment and just listen to what's around me and after enough concentration I finally hear the faint sound of rushing water just west of me. *Perfect* I think, *I can just follow the setting sun.* I also figure it is okay to let Chira be for a while considering that few would actually even try to mess with a dragon, and the wyverns I saw on the way to Trelldearum were on the opposite side of the forest furthest from the mountains.

So the whole following the setting sun idea is not as easy as I have hoped. The trees are so tall, blocking most of the view of the sky. Their height also contributes to the forest's darkness because they cast such long shadows, but luckily I can still see a glow (that was very faint) of the sun to help me find my way.

Going on my way it is eerily quiet, I walk slowly and constantly turn my head over my shoulder to be sure nothing was following me. In the distance I hear a blood-curdling scream and nearly jump out of my skin, I keep going although I notice that I have goose bumps everywhere and I am starting to shake a little out of fear. Eventually I reach the river. Thank the heavens it's not too far from where we stopped. I get out my water carrier and refill it and then cup my hands to get water and splash it in my face. I rubbed my face and cleaned off all the dirt. Looking down at my clothes I could faintly see that they were covered in dragon's blood I strip down shirt and pants leaving me in my trousers and undershirt. I take the clothes to the river and rinse them thoroughly until I figure they are clean enough. After ringing out the water from them I put the damp clothes on, for I can't ball them up and put them my bag because they'll get mold all over the place. I don't dare think about hanging them up on a line because waiting for them to dry would mean having to set up camp here, which is the last thing I'll ever consider for what to do tonight. Realizing that it will be dark when I get back to Chira, I look around and luckily find a couple pieces of flint. Then I pulled of a thick branch of the nearest tree and wrapped one end of it in an extra shirt of mine. *I knew it was best for me to collect it's poison* I think as I pour the vile stuff over the shirt wrapped end of the wood. After a few clicks of flint over the wood the sparks touch the flammable poison-covered wood and the wrapped fabric becomes a blaze. I now have a torch.

The walk back to Chira doesn't take to long in reality, but being full of fear to this blasted forest makes it feel like a never ending nightmare. In the far distance I could see the faint glow of untamed fires. I hear more horrid screams of women in the distance and the scratches and screeches of creatures in the trees above me. Just as the eeriness is too much for me, an enormous flood of relief floods over me to see that Chira has wakened from her nap sitting up straight waiting for me and unharmed by the forest. I want to get out of here, and I want to do it soon. Night was upon us and I was as scared as ever of this place. I'm about to ask the dragon if she's well enough to fly into the mountains when voice stops me.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, well, well," a female voice mused, "And just who might we have here?" I turn to face her and she sticks her lantern in my face to get a closer look at me and I her. She had wavy shoulder length black as night hair. Her eyes were a complimenting dark brown that could see right through your very soul. The woman's clothes didn't show any sign of royalty, but I had a feeling it was safest to not run and let her inspect me seeing. She looks me up and down and then pulls out some papers from her belt that look like wanted posters. Flipping through them she pulls out one and looks at it and then at me again and again. I get a glance at it *oh dear lord* I see my face perfectly sketched with the caption in big bold under it:

NICO DEVON TIDES

WANTED ALIVE FOR 12000 GOLD

TURN IN TO PERDIX TEERN, NOBLE OF WOPEG

She puts the papers swiftly back under her belt and then makes a tight rope bonds to my hands before I can even move a muscle.

"You're coming with me," the woman says as she shoots a sleeping dart into my poor Chira.

"Who the hell are you?" I scoff.

"Yulia Wendrick, the bounty hunter. There's nothing you can do to stop me. I need this money boy, I haven't found a criminal in weeks."

"So you just turn people in? With no question, even in the accused is *falsely* accused?" I speak with the most of hate, thinking of Perdix while I do.

"Look, I've heard every excuse, and there's no way I'll even consider listening to yours, now shut up before you make yourself sorry."

"Excuse? EXCU-" I am cut off as something is injected in my arm.

Everything starts to go fuzzy and I believed I black out.

I'm on a boat... Fishing? The sky is a cloudless and blue, and the ocean seemed to last for every with nothing but the stuff in every direction. I see the net attached to the boat getting tugged. I walk over to the net to get the fish when there was a huge crashing noise and the small sail boat shakes violently. Turning around I see that the boat has crashed into a massive boulder. As the little boat is splitting in half I am sinking. I leap into the water so the force of the sinking boat wouldn't drag me down with it. Treading in the warm water I look around for a place to go. Nothing in sight. There has to be nothing but ocean for miles in every direction. I'm screwed, until I see a boat coming in my direction from the distance. As it gets closer I notice that the the person sailing the vessel was Quin. She smiles at me as her boat pulls up. I try to climb on board when something starts tugging at my leg. It has to be a huge fish but I kept my grip on the edge of the boat with one hand but one hand stuck out waiting for Quin to pull me up. The creature pulls harder and I am loosing my grip on the boat. "Help me!" a strained voice comes from myself calling out to her. But she just smiles eerily down at me. And to make it all the more worse Perdix comes from behind her and puts his arm around her waist. That bastard. I finally loose my grip and the last thing I see before I go under is the two of them looking down at me, waving goodbye. Going down the water felt like it was pelting me in little drops, it's the strangest thing.

Hard rain hits my face making me open my eyes, explaining my terrible dream ending. I haven't the slightest clue where I am and how I got here until I try to stand up. I am tied to a tree. Of course I am. The occurrences of last night come to my mind like being hit in the face with a brick. My arm is extremely sore from the sleeping dart was stabbed. I look over to my left to see tent, where I knew a bounty hunter was most likely peacefully sleeping, and dryly at that. The trees around me were thinner and shorter of the ones I saw last night, that would explain why I'm soaked... But I have a feeling that we were in the same blasted forest. I hear some rustling in the tent and I pretend to be asleep. I hear quiet footsteps as I feel the presence of my captor closer to me.

"It seems I have a heavy sleeper..." she thinks aloud. "We'll have to see about that." The next thing I know I get a heavy slap across the face, my eyes are now wide open. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." Yulia is crouched down on the balls of her feet, directly in my face. The wretch pulls out a dagger and breaks my bonds to the tree, although I notice that my hands are still tied together. But this wasn't my concern, the dagger looked familiar... It was mine! I must have been disarmed while asleep. My chances of escape were slim to none. I could make a brake for it, but what's the point if she has *sleep darts*?

She pulls me up by the arm and I realize how much my back hurts from being tied to the freaking tree. "We have to get moving, and we have a long way ahead of us." The bounty hunter ties a complex knot around my hand bonds with a long rope and grabs hold of the other end of the rope with a strong grip. *Oh great* I think, *She's got me on a bloody leash.* She tears down her tent and then I follow her through the forest. I could tell we were probably in the very center of it, the mountains could hardly be seen but neither could the lake... *Where is my poor Chira?* I think feeling helpless. *I just can't have Perdix find me practically severed to him on a plate. I'm not going to give up to him that easy* but no successful escape plans will come to mind. My thoughts stop when I nearly fall forward onto my face. Yulia had given her end of rope a hard pull; I must have stopped moving in my deep thought. "Don't balk boy! It won't make me release you!" she barks. The rain has slowed down to a light drizzle, though I am still soaked from earlier and the early mooring chill makes me freezing. We walk in silence for a long time, I listen to pattern of the rain. The grey sky made it hard to tell what time of day it was but I knew it had to be early afternoon or late morning. My stomach is growling so loud you'd think it's thunder.

"Hungry much?" She says with a bit of a chuckle.

I nod in response, I am shocked to see her actually smile.

She gets out a sack of her own and pulls out something wrapped in a clothe. Unraveling it she unravels cooked meat that makes my mouth water, "Here," she says tearing off a piece and hands it to me. She also tears off a piece for herself and by the way she was eating, taking huge bites in small amounts of time, I could tell that she was hungry too. By now the rain has stopped and we have taken a break, sitting down a short distance from each other both sitting up against a tree. Yulia was still eating by the time I had finished and I notice that she doesn't have a grip on my leash. I swiftly stand up and make a break for it. I run right in the direction where we had came from. Although she was delayed by having food in her hands and was sitting down, it didn't take long until I could feel her chasing me. She was further than the end of my rope which was good but with my weapons on her hands I knew I had to be careful. The cool damp air fills my longs as I sprint for my life, I nearly stumble over the thick forest tree roots and slide through mud. But with the wind at my back I almost felt invincible. After I pass the place where we had spent last night I can no longer hear the sound of following footsteps I stop and sit to take a breath, my lungs aching as I pant for air. *I did it!* I think, *Nice try Perdix, but not today.* I stand up and get ready to run some more, starting with an easy jogging pace for a little while. But right before I pick up the pace back into a sprint, my leash gets pulled so hard I fall forwards on my face and into the disgusting mud.

"This can be a painful trip if you make it one," the bounty hunter sneers. She yanks me back up to my feet.

"Let's keep going, your little stupid stunt cost us a lot of time." In a few hours we are back to where we had ate lunch and the setting sun would be upon us soon.

"So why does he want you anyways?" Yulia asks trying to make conversation as we moved a long.

I respond with silence.

"Did you fool around with his girl or something?" she asked jokingly.

"I'd rather not talk about it." I say through a tightly closed jaw.

".gosh! You did didn't you? You slept with his wife!" she's laughing hard now.

I only get more angry, "I didn't *sleep* with her! What we had was special, he didn't deserve her!"

"Who are you kidding yourself? If she truly loved you the why hasn't she left him and you're with her now?" She sneers.

"Look, its complicated. She was afraid of him!"

"Oh please, she had you eating out of her palm. She probably knew he would find out and you'd get killed for it. You were just a toy."

"You're wrong."

"What ever helps you sleep at night," she shrugged.

And then with boiling anger rising through me I lunge at her throat, only to be stopped by another dart stabbed into my body.

Opening my eyes I could see a campfire next to me and that it was night. I didn't have to think hard on where I was except that it was a different part of the forest. Yulia sits by the fire putting her hands in front of herself to warm them. I know she realizes that I am awake but she pays me no attention. *The silent treatment, eh?* I think to myself... Maybe my threat scared her... I mentally chuckle at the thought. After a while she set up her tent, doused the fire with a flask of water and went to sleep. Leaving me alone, and once again I am tied to a bloody tree.


End file.
